Twelve days to change a life
By Karen Rivera, World Vision

Lowela with her two-year-old son, who is recovering well from malnutrition by eating a simple, balanced diet that uses locally available vegetables. Photo by Karen Rivera, World Vision.

Two-year-old Franz hides in his mother’s arms, a little shy but visibly healthy with gleaming eyes and full cheeks.

Franz is in a far better shape than he was a few months ago when he was diagnosed as malnourished.  

“He only weighed seven kilos, way below the normal weight for children his age,” says his mother, Lowela, 34, from the province of Iloilo.

When asked what could have been the cause of her son’s malnourished condition, Lowela blamed it on the quick meals she used to prepare for her family.

“Before, I would just open a can of sardines, boil instant noodles, or serve fish cooked in vinegar for our meals.  I thought as long as you are able to feed your children, that was good enough. I was mistaken,” she says wryly.

Such quick fixes are convenient for a busy mother like Lowela who runs a household of four young kids while helping her husband earn income from fishing.

But Lowela’s lack of knowledge about health and nutrition, coupled with their poverty, contributed to Franz’s malnourished condition.

A simple measure for a prevailing concern

In a 2008 study by the Food and Research Institute of the Philippines (FNRI), one out of four Filipino children under 10 years old was reportedly malnourished or stunted.

Food insecurity and lack of awareness about what constitutes a healthy diet are two factors that lead to the high prevalence and persistence of this problem in the country.

World Vision, through its Positive Deviance Hearth programme (PD Hearth), strives to address this problem by passing on vital health messages to mothers like Lowela on areas of nutrition, hygiene and sanitation. 

Funded by World Vision Canada, this project organises community feeding programmes for 12 days for malnourished children, and strongly advocates the production and consumption of vegetables that are indigenous in the area.

“There were six of us mothers who took turns to prepare a meal for our children.  We mostly cooked vegetables mixed with fish, which we call ‘laswa’ in our dialect.  The children were a little picky at first but when they saw their mothers eat, they took to it too,” says Lowela.

“I was happy to watch my Franz eating vegetables because I couldn’t get him to eat it at home,” she adds.

Having learned that vegetables could be a home-grown remedy for malnutrition, Lowela has since then taken up vegetable gardening.

“Before, I was more into flower gardening but then I realised, why would I need to buy vegetables when I could grow them myself?” she says. 

At home, Lowela tends to a vegetable patch, which she has planted with eggplant, okra and an assortment of local, green, leafy vegetables, which not only supplies her family’s needs but also earns her a little income.

“My neighbours used to pick from my gardens for free. I gave them seedlings to start their own patch but some refused to plant them and just keep coming back. That’s when I thought of selling my vegetables to them,” she says.

Hand washing and proper food preparation are also practices that Lowela has learned from PD Hearth, which she diligently practices at home now.

“Before we eat, I ensure that my children wash their hands first. They are also required to clean up before going to bed,” she adds.

Lowela is happy to note that much has changed in her household since she has begun taking her family’s health seriously.

“My children seldom get sick but when they do, their illness does not last long.  They have better resistance because of the healthy food I cook for them.  With PD Hearth, I’ve learned how important nutritious food is to my children’s health.”